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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Anonymous wrote ...

Your claim: The expedition will focus on Greenlandic culture and nature

I find this to be an extremely boring and self-serving expedition. Can't believe you got sponsored for this, can't believe that you have been living in Greenland, yet you provide practically no cultural background on the towns, and certainly nothing on the 'nature' you encounter. Surely you could do some research before embarking, so that you might have a grasp of the most fundamental natural history of the area. I didn't learn a thing from your blog. You don't even know a Dwarf Fireweed, the ubiquitous pink flower?

Dear Anonymous

I appreciate your comment. I have, in fact, considered the same points you have raised in the course of writing the blog. I have published your comment but have also chosen to address it in this post.

I had high hopes for the expedition. I intended to delve into the culture of Greenland and explore the nature but in many respects I failed to do so, greatly in the eyes of some including yourself. Throughout the course of writing entries for this blog I have noticed a difficulty in defining the expedition. At various times I use the words “journey” or “trip” instead. The word “expedition” always seemed rather too grand for what I was undertaking and yet, given the egotistical nature of the outdoor explorer, I was keen to call it what I hoped it was and thus the expedition was born.

Benedict Alan once said that if you want to look around the corner then you are an explorer. He said it better than I have written it, but by that definition I was exploring, both the area and my own self. I would never compare myself to Benedict Alan but I have been inspired by his sense of exploration. Once again my ego took over and the “expedition” became a personal journey, a test to see if I could cope out there on my own and come back safely. I did that, and this weblog is the diary of that personal journey. It is not an expedition report, nor is it particularly factual. The diary is written from a personal point of view and, lacking a deeper scientific background or interest, flowers are pretty, sand is soft to sleep on and the wildlife is engaging, whatever its scientific or common name.

Regarding the exploration of the culture, just as I am no scientist, nor am I an anthropologist. As the expedition developed I also realised that I was more or less a tourist with relatively little access to life in the settlements, no more so than what a real tourist might have. However, living and working in Uummannaq placed me in another position, that of resident. Whereas an anthropologist might be more willing to write about the people and its culture from an objective standpoint, I felt I was less in a position to do so as I knew many of the people I met, or had at least taught their children or relatives. I did not want to change that relationship and become an observer when I had otherwise been accepted into the community. For the same reason there are very few pictures of people. By rights, and I am glad you brought attention to this point, I should change the expedition goals. I did, however, enjoy trying to speak Greenlandic whenever the opportunity presented itself.

In terms of sponsorship and why I was sponsored then I think it is important to look at what was being achieved. My sponsors did not provide me any terms of sponsorship beyond wishing to see their product being used and tested in Greenland. In fact, I think my kayak sponsors were more than happy with the previous summers’ video of their product being paddled by the side of a humpback whale. I met no whales during the summer of 2010 and I am therefore pleased, from a sponsorship point of view, that I was able to catch the whale on video the year before. The experience itself was beyond description. My relationship with my sponsors has been positive and has resulted in putting their products in a challenging environment and proving that they are up to the task.

In rounding off, I hope you appreciate that I have published your comment and addressed it here. You are right on some points and perhaps missing the point on others. If you were misled by the description of the expedition, and I believe you were, then I accept that I have not provided the information you had anticipated. If, however, you are interested in seeing lots of photos from the Uummannaq area and reading about what I personally experienced and the personal decisions I made, then please read on.

This is a diary of my expedition. It has evolved into a far more personal journey than one of cultural or natural exploration. I have not hidden that fact in previous posts. It is what it has become.

6 comments:

I found your expedition, or call it trip or voyage, very inspiring. Your photos were nothing short of spectacular, the fact that you [even] speak Greenlandic (!) and that you taught in Greenland, seemed to give you a special insight to the people and places you visited. I am glad you received the sponsorships, and if I were a kayak manufacturer, I would have sponsored your expedition as well.

Hats off to your accomplishments and thank you for sharing your trip which I followed with great interest.

Not sure what is wrong with "Anonymous", but there is for sure nothing wrong with you, or your trip!!:-)

I've enjoyed reading your posts and seeing your photos. I don't think I'll ever make it to Greenland, so I have experienced it through your eyes and have learned a lot. Thank you for taking the time and the risk to share.

The Seven Settlements Solo Kayak Expedition sponsored by Folbot

In July 2010, I propose to paddle a folding kayak on a 450 km journey in the Uummannaq fjord area of North West Greenland (pop. 2784), 650 km north of the Arctic Circle. It is my intention to paddle solo, starting at the town of Uummannaq (pop. 1200) and travelling to each of the seven Inuit settlements (pop. app. 50-500) before returning to Uummannaq.

The expedition will focus on Greenlandic culture and nature as I explore the area I have grown to love and meet the people I have learned to respect, descendants of the first kayakers, whose craft is still held in high national regard.

Into The Great Solitude

Folbot

The Folbot Blog "From the Front"

Summer kayaking

The Greenland II in Greenland

Gram Kajak

Greenland Paddle Sponsor

Sermilik Fjord

Camping in glacial waters

About Me

Chris Paton, 1973, has a BA in Outdoor Education from the University of Strathclyde (1997) and a Danish Teaching Certificate (PGCE) from CVU Jelling (2006). Chris has worked for many years in the field of outdoor education in several countries and since 2006 has been employed as a teacher of English at Atuarfik Edvard Kruse in Uummannaq, Northwest Greenland. Aside from teaching, sledging and paddling, Chris is currently reading for a MA in ICT and Learning (2011) from Aalborg University.

Uummannaq

Cooper on Ice

Devlish Inspiration

Starting in a hollowed log of wood - some thousand miles up a river, with an infinitesimal prospect of returning! I ask myself 'Why?' and the only echo is 'damned fool! ... the Devil drives'.

Sermilik Fjord

The Greenland II

Expedition Philosophy

To me exploration isn't about conquering natural obstacles, planting flags... It's not about going where no one's gone before in order to leave your mark, but about the opposite of that - about making yourself vulnerable, opening yourself up to whatever's there and letting the place leave its mark on you.

IPF Educapoles Interview Part I

IPF Educapoles Interview Part II

Folding Boat Expeditions

The Western Fells

The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent, but the hills are eternal.Always there will be the lonely ridge, the dancing beck, the silent forest; always there will be the exhilaration of the summits.These are for the seeking, and those who seek and find while there is yet time will be blessed both in mind and body.

Alfred Wainwright

"Parked" in Torssukátak fjord

To quote oneself ...

"... when you have lain in your sleeping bag and heard the Arctic Fox announce his arrival, the whale exhaust his lungs when passing by, boulders crash and icebergs calve then the wild has truly called, and I wish to live long to answer that call again and again."